After reviewing the story of the 3 little pigs, students get into groups and build three houses out of different materials. Then, the houses are tested with a fan to see if the “big bad wolf” can knock their houses down.

Lesson Objectives:

– Using the engineering design process

– Learn to build with different materials and adjust designs based on constraints of materials

Materials Needed:

House 1: Paper

House 2: Straws (cut in half), popsicle sticks

House 3: Lego Bricks

Tape

Scissors

Glue

Fan (paper fan, folder, etc.)

Preparation and Set Up:

Arrange students in pairs

Cut straws in half

Necessary Background

Know the three little pigs story.

Procedure

1. Tell story of the three little pigs. 2. Assign students to pairs, and distribute pairs evenly into three different stations (one station for each house) 3. Plan/Discuss possible house designs with partner 4. Construct house out of given materials 5. Rotate through stations until every group has build three houses. 6. Test designs by using a fan to see if the houses blow down.